Adjustable reflector system for recording



Jue 26, 1928.

N. H. HOLLAND ADJUSTABLE REFLECTOR SYSTEM FOR RECORDING Original FiledDec. 4. 1920 Patented June 26,- 1.928.`

1,675,102- UNITED STATE-s PATENT OFFICE.

NEWMAN` H.r VHOLLAND, OF WEST ORANGE,

NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE Y vASSIGNMENTS, TO WESTERN ELECTRICCOMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK,

N. Y.,'A CORPORATION 0F NEW YORK.

- ADJUSTABLE REFLECTOR SYSTEM FOR RECORDING.

Application led December 4, 1920,y Serial No. 428,281. `Renewed october6, 1926.

In phonograph sound recording by the well-knowntypes of recordinginstruments the performers, whether they be speakers, singers, ormusicians are placed very close to the 'recording instrument and thesound reflecting and resonant qualities of the room are not found to beof great importance.

The crowding of'the performers near the recording instrument prevents asefficient recording as can be done if a longer range instrument isprovided and amore flexible positioning of the performers made possible.

I have been interested in the development of a long range type ofelectrical recording instrument and ind that its longer range makes thereverberation and resonance of the room objectionable, and for thisreason a non-reflecting padded recording room has been provided. Thenon-reflecting room alone is not wholly satisfactory as the rec'orde-made in it sometimes sound dead, which probably is caused by thelack of echoes and resonance in the recording room.

The object of my invention is to provide an environment of superiorelliciency for making phonograph records by combining a non-soundreflecting room having the advantage of permitting pure reproductions,which, however, are-not Aalways the most pleasing, with means to providesuch adjustable sound reflection and resonance to supplement the puresounds as may be required to produce the most satisfactory and pleasingrecords.

Another object of my invention is to provide devices for supplying theadjustable reflection and resonance required in a nonreflecting roomdesigned to contain a long range recording instrument, as will be moreparticularly described below.

Referring to the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal cross section of anon-ieldecting recording roomprovided with a long range recording instrument and adjustable soundingboard reflectors;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of atypical adjustable sounding boardreflector; and" Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic plan view of the same room inuse for the recording of several performers on the same record; alsoillustrating the adjustable reflection to the recording instrument bythe sounding boards.

Referring to Fig. 1, numeral 1 indicates the floor 3 with the walls; 2the ceiling; and 3 the floor of my non-reflecting room. The walls 1 areyprovided with non-sound reflecting padding 4, therceiling .with similarpadding 5, and a heavy non-sound reflect- 1n carpet 6.`

n order to introduce adjustable sounding board -reflection when requireda sounding board stand member 7, mounted on castors 8, adjustablysupporting a. sounding board 9, in the indicated manner, is positionedbehind the performer 10, so as to reflect toward and vary the sound atthe vlong range recording instrument l1. At the back of the soundingboard 9 a padded board 12 is mounted, which can be turned in theindicated position of the sounding board 9, in which event .the paddingwill prevent the sounding board affecting the sound at the recordinginstrument l1.'

Above the performer 10 there is suspended from the ceiling 2 a hingedmember 13 padded upon its lower face 14 and pro-y vided wit-h a soundingboard 15 upon its upper face. The member 13 in its indicated position isnon-reflecting, -but it can be lowered by releasing the rope 16, so .asto swing downat the back of the performer 10, thus adjusting thesounding board face 15 in a position to reflect toward and vary thesounds at the recording instrument 11.

At the foot of the performer 10 there is mounted on a conventional frame18, which can be adjusted in the indicated manner, a member 17. Themember 17 is provided with an upper sounding board face 19, which in itsindicated position is designed to vary the sound at the recordinginstrument l1. The member 18 is also provided with a lowernon-reflecting padded face 20 and can be inverted to prevent thesounding board 19 affecting the sound at the recording instrument 11. e

In Fig. 3 the same room is indicated but with four sources of sound orperformers 21, 22, 23, and 24. ln this case the sources ol' sound 21 and22 are aEect-ed by the sounding boards 9 and 19 the source of sound 23is unaffected, and behind the source of sound 24 is placed a paddedmember 27. By this arrangement'the reflection of sound toward therecording instrument 11 is adjusted selectively.

The arrangement of the rellectors may, of

SPO

course, be varied to suit the requirements for various records.` 'f

Modifications of this invention and the incorporation of its novelelements or combinations with other means may be made witliout departingfrom the spirit of this invention.

I claim:

1. A. reversible sounding board, provided with a reflecting face and anopposite face of sound absorbing material;

2. An acoustic device for controlling the sound reflected from a sourceto a particular point consisting of a movable screen providgd with bothreflecting and absorbing memers.

3. In a studio having sound absorbing walls the combination of a soundresponsive device, and adjustable means having both reflecting andabsorbing surfaces for controlling the amount of reflected energyreceived by the soimd responsive device.

,. 4. In a studio having sound absorbing walls the combination of asound responsive device, a source of soundat long range from said soundresponsive-device, and a plurality of adjustable devicespositioned atdifferent points in the studio for controlling the amount of reflectedenergy received by said sound responsive device.

5. Equipment for long distance recording or radio broadcasting,comprising inicombination a room having non-reflecting Wall surfaces, apick-up device in said room, and means for additionally varying andcontrolling the sound at the pick-up device, comprising means havingboth reflecting and absorbing'surfaces, said means being adjustable withcrespect to the pick-up device.

6. In a studio having sound absorbing Walls,P the combination of asource o sound, a soundresponsiv device, and means Jfor interceptingthesound from said source and lsound reflecting and sound transmitted in anacoustic studio,

operatively associated with said sound responsive device, said meansbeing adjustable to reflect or absorb the sounds intercepted thereby toany desired degree.

7. In equipment for recording or broadcasting including a studio havingall walls highly damped, the combination of a source of sound, a soundresponsive device, and means for intercepting sound waves from saidsource, said means having adjustable faces for controlling the amount ofreflected energy received device.

8. In a studio so damped as to be substantially' acoustically dead, thecombination of a source of sound, a sound responsive device and meanscomprising both reflecting and sound absorbing surfaces said means beingpositioned to one side of the direct acoustic path between said sourceand said device for adjustably controlling ,the amount of reflectedenergy received by the latter.

9. Apparatus for controlling the 'amount of' reflected energy in studiosfor recording and broadcasting having both sound reflecting and soundabsorbing surfaces, and means for adjusting the position of bothsurfaces.

l0. A method of controlling sounds to be which consists in eliminatingsound reflections from all directions, and then introducing at dil'erentpoints in said studio the desired amount-of reflection.

absorbing surby said sound responsive j 11. The method ofcontrollingusounds to` beitransmitted in an acoustic studio, Whichconsists in elimlnating all sound reflections capable of influencing thecharacter of the sounds to be reproduced, and then introducing suchreflections as are necessary to give naturalness of tone to thereproduced sounds.

NEWMAN H. HOLLAND.

